Forensic teams scour home as community mourns Perth baby death

A community in Perth's south-east is reeling as they try to come to terms with the death of a six-month old baby girl, allegedly at the hands of her father.

Police say it happened in Brookdale near Armadale on Thursday evening.

Her 35-year-old father has been charged with murder.

A baby's cot mattress seized from the home, flowers and a stuffed toy on the driveway are heartbreaking signs of the tragedy that unfolded inside the Chiltern Avenue home.

A simple message left with a stuffed toy sums up the feeling: "A small life walked by leaving footprints on our hearts forever".

Police and paramedics arrived at the house about 8pm last night after the baby girl's father went to a nearby police station.

Inside the home, they found six-month-old Isabella Martin with critical injuries.

"I have children myself and it's just heartbreaking - it's shocked our whole street," neighbour Lauren Barrow said.

Paramedics performed emergency first aid then took the baby girl to hospital, but she couldn't be saved.

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Police haven't revealed what happened to baby Isabella, but it's understood she'd suffered horrific injuries.

"I don't know them, but my heart goes out to them, especially the mother," neighbour Island Mashuri said.

Forensic officers spent hours inside the home on Friday gathering evidence.

The baby's father appeared briefly in court charged with murder but only spoke to confirm his name.

He has made a Legal Aid application and was remanded in custody to front court again later this month.

Members of the Brookdale community planned to gather at a nearby park on Friday evening for a candlelight vigil as they pay tribute to baby Isabella.